Japanese Minelayers.  Photographs and history of the Japanese Minelayers.

TOKIWA                  Displacement: 9240t standard               Armament: 2-8in/45, 8-6in/40, 2-3in, 1-3in AA, 200-300 mines              Complement: ?

Tokiwa

1898

Sunk in shallow water at Ominato by US aircraft 8.8.45, broken up post-war

SHIRATAKA              Displacement: 1345t standard; 1516t trial                Armament: 3-4.7in/45, 1 MG, 100 mines               Complement:?

Shirataka

1929

Torpedoed by US submarine 31.8.44

ITSUKUSHIMA          Displacement: 1970t standard; 2047t trial             Armament: 3-5.5in/50, 2-3in/40 AA, 300 mines, 2DCs           Complement: 235

Itsukushima

1929

Torpedoed by a Dutch submarine 7.10.44

KAMOME class               Displacement: 450t standard; 502t trial             Armament: 1-3in/40 AA, 1-13.2mm AA, 120 mines              Complement: 56

Kamome

27.4.44

Sunk 27.4.44

Tsubame

1.3.45

Sunk 1.3.45

YAEYAMA              Displacement: 1135t standard; 1358t trial            Armament: 2-4.7in/45, 2 MG, 185 mines             Complement: 150

Yaeyama

1931

Sunk by a US carrier based aircraft 24.9.44

NASAMI class              Displacement: 450t standard; 502 trial            Armament: 2-3in/40 AA, 1-13.2mm AA, 120 mines                 complement: ?

Nasami

1933-34

Sunk 1.4.44

Natsushima

1933-34

Sunk 22.2.44

SARUSHIMA             Displacement: 566t standard; 574t trial           Armament: 2-3in/40, 1-13.2mm AA, 120 mines                     complement: ?

Sarushima

1933

-

OKINOSHIMA               Displacement: 4400t standard; 4920t trial           Armament: 4-5.5in/50, 2-3in/40 AA, 500 mines, 1 aircraft            Complement: ?

Okinoshima

1935

Torpedoed by US submarine 11.5.42

TSUGARA                Displacement: 4000t standard; 43330t trial               Armament: 4-5in/40 DP, 4-25mm AA, 600 mines, 1 aircraft            Complement: ?

Tsugaru

1940

Torpedoed by a US submarine 29.6.44

SOKUTEN, HARASHIMA and AJIRO classes              Displacement: 720t standard; 738t trial            Armament: 2-40mm AA, 2-13.2mm AA, 120 mines   Complement: 100

Sokuten

Sunk 25.7.44

Shirakami

Sunk 3.3.44

Naryu

Sunk 16.2.45

Hirashima

To UK 1947, broken up

Hoko

Sunk 16.11.43

Ishikazi

Sunk 27.7.43

Saishu

To China 1947 as Yung Ching

Niizaki

Broken up 1947

Yurijima

Sunk 14.1.45

Nuwashima

 Broken up 1946

Maeshima

CTL 18.10.44

Moroshima

Never began

Ajiro

Sunk 1.10.44

HATSUTAKA             Displacement: 1608t standard; 1860t trial             Armament: 4-40mm AA, 4-25mm AA, 360 mines            Complement: ?

Hatsutaka

1939-44

Sunk 16.5.45

Aotaka

1939-44

Sunk 26.9.44

Wakatake

1939-44

To UK 1937 as Laburnum, scrapped 1956

KAMISHIMA class                   Displacement: 766t standard; 787t trial              Armament: 2-40mm AA, 13-25mm AA, 120 mines, 36 DCs           Complement: ?

Kamishima

1945

To USSR 1947

Awashima

1945

To USA 1947, Broken up

HATSUSHIMA class cablelayers/minelayers          Displacement: 1564t standard; 1670t trial            Armament: 1-3in/40 AA, 2-13.2mm AA, 12 mines             Complement: ?

Hatsushima

1940-41

Sunk 28.4.45

Tsurshuima

1940-41

To civilian use 1945

Tateishi

1940-41

Sunk 27.3.45

ERIMO minelayer/minesweeper         Displacement: 630t standard; 670t full load      Armament: 1-40mm, 2-20mm, 1 hedgehog, 2 K-guns, 2 DC racks      Complement: 80

Erimo

12 July 1955

Deleted 1982

TSUGARA minelayer/cable layer        Displacement: 950t standard        Armament: 1-3in/50, 2-20mm, 4 K-guns, 40 mines       Complement: 100

Tsugaru

19 July 1955

Lengthened & widened and converted into specialised cable ship 1969-70, deleted 1990

HAYASE mine warfare support ship/minelayer          Displacement: 2000t standard; 3050t full load      Armament: 2-3in/50, 2-20mm, 6-12.75in Mk 32 ASW TT, 200 mines       Complement: 85

Hayase

21.6.71

In service 1995

SOUYA minelayer          Displacement: 2150t standard; 3250t full load

Souya

31.3.71

In service 1995